Improvement in damping-boxes for copying-presses



W. l'. PURCELL.

lDamping-Box for @spying-Presses. N0. 161.898.- Patented Apruemav.

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PATENT @muon IMPROVEMENT IN DAMPlNG-BOXES FOR COPYING-PRESSES.

Specication formingI part of Letters Patent No. 161,898, dated April 13,1875; application tiled September 17, 1874.

To ,all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM JAMEs PUR- CELL, of the city of Rochester andState of New York, have invented a Damping-Box for moistening pages ofletter-books and fordamping copying-paper, to be known as the GermanCopying-Oase.

rIhe following is 1a description of the construction and operation ofthe same, reference being had to the annexed drawing, in whichv Figure 1is a perspective View of the box or reservoir open. Fig. 2 is aperspective View with the pad-block partly raised; Fig. 3, a plan of themoistening-sheet wired at both ends 5 Fig. 4, a plan of themoistening-sheet wired at one end.

I make a box or reservoir of metal or wood, or other material that themanufacturer may ind most convenient, the inside ot' which (the box)must be non-corrosive. The box is furnished with a cover or' lid, theinside of which is raised, and made water-proof. (See A, Fig. l.) Thelid or cover is hinged with a slack cloth strap. (See B, Fig. 1.) Theblock-pad (see O, Fig. 2) consists of a block of wood, tunneled withholes through it iiatwise, and the block wrapped in felt, cloth,batting, or paper, and having a thumb-strap at one end, the use of whichI will describe farther on. The moistening-sheet (see D, Fig. 3) is madeof muslin or cloth, and wired at both ends with non-corrosive wire. Thesmall moistening-sheet (see E, Fig. 4) is made of muslin or cloth, andwired at one end with non-corrosive wire.

Having now described the way in which I make it, I will now proceed tospecify the mode of using my invention.

Having poured water into the box until the water comes half-way on theblock-pad, which lies flat in the box, I then turn the block-pad upsidedown by the aid of the thumb-strap, which brings the wet side of theblock-pad uppermost, and place the moistening-sheets on latwise on theblock-pad, and close the lid, the raised surface of the inside of thelid falling on the sheets, and pressing the sheets against the block-padwhen pressed 'from the top or bottom. The box is then placed in thepress, and pressed in the manner of pressing a book, which causessufficient moisture from the block-pad to saturate themoistening-sheets, and at the same time it presses out superfluouswater, which falls down into the reservoir or box. After pressing thebox and opening it the sheets are ready to damp with, and the leaves tobe copied on being placed over the letters one of those moistened sheetsis placed on top of each, and the book with sheets in it next the leavesyou desire copies on is placed in the press and pressed; then the bookis taken out, opened, the letters taken out, and the moistening sheetsreplaced on the blockpad in the box, where they will, for many daysafterward, absorb enough of lnoisture to be nearly always ready forcopying, and when they become too dry or unevenly damped turn theblock-pad upside down, replace the sheets on it, and repress the box inthe press.

The advantages are: First, in using damping-sheets as described animmense amount of time and labor is saved. Instead of damping leaf afterleaf by hand in an uneven manner, the sheets are almost always ready tolay in the letter-book without any preparation, or may be rapidlyprepared when required. Secondly, the damping-sheets are properly andevenly moistened, and in copying a single or a hundred letters all maybe done at one pressure from the press, and have the first and lastletter that was placed in the book copied evenly, giving clear strongcopies, free from blurs, with the use of any ink that will copy, or anypaper that will copy. Thirdly, the end or ends of the sheets beingwired, as shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the sheets are easily handled, andthe corners do not curl up, the sheets with two wires being used forfull-page copies, and the sheets with single wires being used forpart-page copies when they are used crosswise in the book.

A damping box for copying presses lined with non-corrosive material, andhaving a loosely-hinged cover with projection A, a damping-pad, O, anddamping-cloths D E, all constructed in the manner herein set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM J. PURGELL.

Witnesses R. F. OsGooD, JACOB SPAHN.

